PRINCIPAL, CBX, NEW YORK NY
Mark is looking to the future with senior leaders and collaborating with the CBX team, who are equally as passionate about creative as he is.
Before joining CBX, Mark was the Founder and Creative Partner of ROOK/NYC as well as the Founder & Partner of R/Co Ventures – a venture group established to invest in CPG companies that require expert brand and capital partnership.
Mark is deeply passionate about partnering with and investing in CPG brands and their founders to effectively communicate their unique core purpose, vision, and value proposition through strategic thinking and disruptive creative that drives growth. It’s through this vision of building true partnership that he has been approached to co-found and co-create a number of brands including Love Corn, a premium crunchy corn snack, Culture POP Soda, a probiotic soda with unique flavor profiles and Avuá Cachaça, a hand-crafted, single-sourced Brazilian rum.
Mark has nearly 20 years of experience in the creative industry both in London and New York. Prior to founding ROOK his roles included Creative Director at Sundial Brands, and Pearlfisher New York, Design Director at The Brand Union (Superunion), and Designer at Pearlfisher London.son Coors, General Mills, Pfizer, Unilever, and Hershey’s. His work has been recognized by major US and international design and packaging awards programs.
As we pivot into a post-pandemic era marked by societal challenge and change, are you optimistic about the future of Graphic Design to support and shape commerce, culture and causes? Why do you feel the way you do? Are you optimistic about the future of your own firm?
Having a brand expert partnering with you to help you grow internally and externally remains essential. As far as (perceived) threats around AI, things are still playing out. And for now, this is another tool—another team member, if that makes sense. Helping us do what we need to do. But hands down, the need for strategic brand expertise will always be here.
We are seeing an increased focus on Package Design to advance the brand, tell the story, amplify the experience, forge an emotional connection with consumers at the moment of truth. Do you agree with this observation and, if so, what advantages does packaging have over other graphic communications?
In our field, everyone obsesses over the 10/5/2 rule when it comes to nailing packaging, and ultimately driving sales. But the reality is that there’s the 30,000-foot view. The bigger picture. Because if you don’t have great packaging, great storytelling and great interaction—tapping into emotion—things won’t sell. Packaging is only one touchpoint of a brand’s ecosystem. And the best branding experts consider the wholistic brand, not just the packaging. It’s the “red thread” which surrounds an entire brand, and you’ve got to nail it all. The way we see it at CBX, great package design is becoming table stakes, such that if you don’t have great packaging, you don’t get the opportunity. But if you don’t have a great product, your consumer won’t dig further. Which means you’re selling your brand short.
